Activision taps Merchantwise Licensing to grow consumer products reach across Australia and New Zealand

Merchantwise Licensing has been appointed licensing agent for the video game publisher Activitision as it looks to build its consumer products programme across Australia and New Zealand.

As part of the partnership, Merchantwise will seek out new local partners and opportunities for some of Activision’s biggest franchises, including the entertainemtn blockbuster brand Call of Duty.

Opportunities will also be sought for the Crash Bandicoot franchise, including Crash Team Racing and the newly released Crash Bandicoot 4 – It’s About Time released in October last year, and Activision’s classic games series Spyro the Dragon and the company’s publishing titles – including three of Atari’s top ten best-selling games of all time – Pitfall, Grand Prix, and River Raid.

“Merchantwise Licensing prides itself on its gaming and digital licensing expertise and we are incredibly thrilled to be welcoming Activision to our portfolio of pedigree brands,” said Merchantwise Licensing’s general manager, Kerryn McCormack.

“With exceptional brands like Call of Duty, Crash and Spyro as well as all the Classics range, Activision is one of the top game publishers in the world and globally recognised for its fun, thrilling and engaging entertainment experiences. We can’t wait to explore local licensing opportunities for Activision and to provide fans with a fully immersive merchandise experience with their favourite gaming brands.”

The licensing programme will be tapping into Activision’s heritage of ‘changing the way people play’ for more than 40 years. Over the course of it four decades, Activision has built one of the largest portfolios or recognised brands and today is one of the most valuable interactive entertainment companies in the world.

Founded in 1979 as the first independent video game software developer and distributor, the company launched a series of multi-million unit selling titles in the early 1980s for the Atari 2600 including Pitfall, Kaboom! and River Raid. Since then, Activision has created some of the most iconic and memorable game experiences of all time.

Today, the company is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products for various consoles, handheld platforms and the PC. Over the past five years, Activision has continued to thrive as a leading digital entertainment provider, and its games appeal to a variety of gamers.

Activision strives to make the most fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences for its players, who live in a world with many entertainment options. The company operates in more than 15 countries including in the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and the region of Taiwan.